Comparing Endodontic Treatment Prevalence in Diabetes Mellitus and Non-Diabetic Periodontitis Patients: A Retrospective Case-Control Investigation

Objective: Apply a case-control retrospective analysis to assess possible differences in the prevalence of endodontically treated teeth in patients with diabetes(DM) and non-diabetics(NDM). Methods: A convenience sample of DM and NDM adults diagnosed with periodontitis and referred to a clinic specializing in periodontal therapy were matched based on age, gender, and year of intake. To assess the number of endodontically treated teeth, a full-mouth set of radiographs was required. Every root-filled tooth was recorded. Sub-analyses were conducted to assess the distribution of teeth based on tooth type and their location in the upper and lower jaws. Additionally, the number of teeth present was counted. Relationships between endodontically treated teeth and related variables were analysed. Results: Total 233 periodontitis patients with DM were found to be eligible for inclusion and accordingly matched to 233 periodontitis patients without DM. Between DM and NDM, no statistically significant differences were found in the mean percentage of endodontically treated teeth (DM: 6.88%; NDM: 7.34%; P = .60), tooth type, or jaw type, nor in the average number of teeth (DM: 25.2; NDM: 25.3; P = .68). Based on the multivariate analyses with correction for age, smoking status, and number of teeth, DM was not significantly associated with the number of endodontically treated teeth (OR = 1.16;95% CI: [0.79;1.70]; P = .46). Conclusion: In matched patient sample with adult periodontitis, there was no significant association between DM appearance and the number of endodontically treated teeth or tooth loss when compared with NDM. Clinical relevance: This suggests that in periodontitis patients DM appears not to be a risk factor influencing the degree of tooth decay necessitating endodontic intervention, nor does it seem to contribute to an increased likelihood of tooth loss in this context.